The present invention relates to a device for aiding the identification of subassemblies of an item of equipment and to a system for performing identification using such a device.
More specifically, the present invention applies to an item of equipment which includes a number of subassemblies, particularly hardware and software subassemblies, and which is equipped with a storage unit which, among other things, stores the references of said subassemblies and can be loaded remotely.
Although not exclusively, the invention more particularly applies to an item of equipment of an aircraft, particularly a commercial transport airplane.
It will be noted that, when an item of equipment of this kind is installed in an aircraft and supplied with electric current, it is generally possible to identify the subassemblies of said item of equipment using appropriate maintenance terminals on board the aircraft.
However, such identification is no longer possible, especially when:
the item of equipment is not powered with electricity on the aircraft;
the aircraft does not have such maintenance terminals; or
the equipment is not mounted on an aircraft but is, for example, on a rack in an equipment storage room.
It will be noted that this last situation is the most unfavorable as far as identification is concerned because in general, in such a case:
the item of equipment is not powered with electricity;
there is a high number of different items of equipment; and
those involved are often not very highly qualified in the matter of electrical or software operations.
Furthermore, the usual means for performing identification, especially encoder wheels and displays, cannot be applied in this particular instance.
This is because:
as far as known encoder wheels are concerned, there is an especial problem of space on the visible face of the equipment item and a problem of controlling the information; and
as far as known displays are concerned, for example displays of the electroluminescent type, there are particular problems of space, high cost, reliability, and high electricity consumption.
Further, document U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,363 discloses a checking system which includes an electronic means (tag) associated with an aircraft equipment item. This electronic means comprises an EEPROM in which are stored data relating, in particular, to successive events. These data may be transmitted to a computer via an interface unit of an interrogator. Said electronic means comprises no internal source of electrical power. It is powered from the outside, via an inductive coupling circuit.
What is more, document GB-2, 286 948 discloses an electronic identification means which is incorporated into an item of electronic equipment, such as a personal computer or mobile telephone. This identification means includes, in an EEPROM, an identification code which can be changed and which can be read by a reader external to the equipment item. For this purpose, said reader transmits electric current to said identification means, via an inductive coupling.
This known identification means only allows said equipment item to be identified. It does not allow a number of subassemblies of said equipment item to be identified simultaneously.
The object of the present invention is to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks. The present invention relates to a simple, effective and very low-cost device which is able to afford assistance with identifying subassemblies in an item of equipment, particularly items of equipment of an aircraft.
To this end, according to the invention, said identification aid device for an item of equipment which is equipped with a storage unit storing references and capable of being loaded remotely, said device including:
an identification memory connected to said storage unit and recording said references, stored in said storage unit;
an external electrical power supply means for said identification memory; and
a connection means connected to said identification memory and to which can be connected a reader capable of reading and telling back the references recorded in said identification memory,
is noteworthy in that it is formed in such a way as to identify subassemblies of said item of equipment, in that said references relate to said subassemblies, and in that it additionally includes an isolation means intended:
on the one hand, to electrically isolate said identification memory from said subassemblies and from said storage unit; and
on the other hand, to isolate said identification memory in terms of processing software from said subassemblies and from said storage unit.
Thus, by virtue of the invention, a number of subassemblies of the item of equipment may be identified simultaneously. This identification is performed:
simply, by connecting a reader, and
inexpensively, because of the low cost of the components of said device.
What is more, the present invention allows perfect control of the information, especially by:
limiting the duplication of information (references of the subassemblies) between the storage unit and the identification memory to a strict minimum;
guaranteeing the consistency between information items where these are duplicated; and
guaranteeing that the information is automatically updated whenever additional information is remotely loaded.
It will also be noted that:
by virtue of the electrical isolation, only a minimal part of the device needed for reading the information from the identification memory is powered; and that
by virtue of the isolation in terms of software processing, any deliberate or otherwise alteration of the remainder of the item of equipment by use of the link to the identification memory is prevented.
Advantageously, said isolation means is a relay which is preferably controlled by an electrical source of said equipment item.
Furthermore, advantageously, said electrical power supply means is an electrical link which can be connected to an electrical source external to the item of equipment and independent of said device.
According to the invention, the link between the storage unit and the identification memory is advantageously intended to transmit:
either signals of a serial type which are created using a known serial/parallel converter;
or signals of a serial type which are created using known software processing within the storage unit.
It will also be noted that said connection means may be produced in different ways.
Specifically, in a first preferred and particularly advantageous embodiment, it includes at least one contact zone capable of being placed in contact with at least one collaborating zone of the reader, while within a second embodiment it includes an emitter of electromagnetic waves which can collaborate with a sensor arranged on the reader.